Dionne Warwick Could ‘Easily’ See Herself Going Country

Dionne Warwick began her recording career 50 years ago, and now we're hearing that her next album may be country. The legend's son, producer/songwriter Damon Elliott, suggested that she do a country album after her most recent release, 'Only Trust Your Heart,' and Warwick tells USA Today, "Country music is so related to gospel. It seems I could go down that road pretty easily."

Warwick has a few ties to country music: In 2006, she recorded a duets album, 'My Friends and Me,' which featured country's Reba McEntire and Wynonna Judd, in addition to pop singers like Olivia Newton-John and Gloria Estefan. Her son produced the record, and it peaked at No. 66 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The 70-year-old singer's cousin, Whitney Houston, also has a tie to country music. She recorded Dolly Parton's 1974 hit 'I Will Always Love You' back in 1992. Houston's version of the song is one of the fewer than 30 singles to have sold 12 million (or more) copies worldwide.

As of late, Warwick splits her time between the U.S. and her home in Brazil, where she lives full-time. She still does 200 shows a year, and she is currently a contestant on 'Celebrity Apprentice,' alongside country star John Rich. Who knows: Maybe a musical collaboration on the show between the two of them will be next!